Our Lady of Kibeho, by Immaculée Ilibagiza, bestselling author who provides us with a definitive, compelling, impossible-to-put down account of the apparitions to young people at the Church-approved site of Kibeho in Rwanda -- where Mary warned of disaster that indeed struck that nation soon after and also warned of future events for the entire world! Not to be missed. Perhaps the best single account of an apparition in modern time -- trips to Heaven, intense prophecy, beautiful messages, devotion. CLICK HERE

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WE REPORT, YOU DISCERN: FROM ROME INFIGHTING TO 'UNUSUAL' CLOUDS TO (ALLEGED) APPARITIONS

Here and there on the internet: There are a lot of little things to tend to out there.

There is the Vatican: many claim a battle is brewing -- or raging -- there against the secretary of state, Cardinal Torcisio Bertone. It's said he has been opposed by the Vatican's diplomatic staff.

We're not sure it will amount to much -- nor that it is more than some fodder for secular publications (like Time) -- but we'll watch it, for there have been suspicious media leaks not beneficial to Cardinal Bertone lately and it was during a famous alleged mystical revelation at Akita in Japan that a nun was told it would be "cardinal against cardinal, bishop against bishop" one day.

That same line, ironically, was in a version of the third Fatima "secret" circulated many years before official release in a German publication called Neues Europa, one that used virtually the same language as at Akita ("bishops opposing bishops, cardinals against cardinals") and likewise had apocalyptic scenes of fiery global destructions (as well as at least one major mistake on one of the Fatima dates). Its prophecies were not contained in the secret released years later by Rome and seer Sister Lucia dos Santos had long before denounced it as a tabloid fabrication. The irony is that Cardinal Bertone was the Vatican official charged with discussing the secret with Sister Lucia and has battled with those claiming that parts of the officially-recognized version have been withheld (Sister Lucia said it was entirely released).

Speaking of apparitions -- and Rome -- there was a report last week that a Vatican commission studying Medjugorje will wrap up its work and report to the Pope by year's end. This has been denied by the parish there, and was confusing in that earlier statements from those involved indicated it would be a very lengthy process, and would probably not conclude until the apparitions end (three seers still say they see the Blessed Mother). The cardinal indicating an early end to the commission is one of the more skeptical members of the committee, at least as far as is currently known, and has made confusing past statements (once saying that that the Vatican would not be studying Medjugorje). Four of the seers are currently in Rome, reports Danish journalist Jakob Marschner. Meanwhile, at right: a pair of John Paul II's shoes that are in the home of seer Mirjana Dragecivic Soldo. She was given them by a close friend of the Pope's who wanted the late pontiff's shoes to finally "set foot" there. (John Paul repeatedly had expressed desires to visit -- even to the president of Croatia -- and had said if he were not pontiff, he would have gone to the site; the local bishop, as well as the cardinal on the commission, have expressed opposite views; some say an early conclusion might mean a negative one; others that the seers, when asked about visits to the commission, have maintained silence but with a smile; we'll adhere to whatever Pope Benedict XVI, after receiving the report, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), rules, if rules he does.

We linked to a blog video recently of what seemed like chemicals or something being sprayed from a plane. It was not exhaust from the engines, and so led many to believe it was "chem-trails" (which some believe are chemicals to surreptitiously control the weather, or even something more sinister) but, viewer Joe Rutkowski noted to us:

"I watched the video and am a pilot of about 25 years -- Air Force and airline -- and I find it hard to believe that anything is being sprayed out of aircraft. Not to say it is not possible, but there are so many other reasons for this. Air masses have different moisture and temperature levels that vary as much as fog on the ground. I'd say this movie shows moisture off the wing as the jet moves through different air masses. I have seen this many times. The guy in the film even mentions about the spray out of the top of his wing. If the aircraft is at heavy weight with a higher angle of attack and moisture saturated air as the clouds suggest, you can easily get this effect. I have tried to explain this to many wonderful older women whom I pray the Rosary with often, but they remain skeptical." It is curious that such discussions have entered the spiritual realm.

There are the same debates about 'HAARP," a government project, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, that is a joint venture between the Navy, Air Force, Department of Advanced Research Projects, and the University of Alaska to use powerful electromagnetic waves in exploring the ionosphere. Many claim this project has gone beyond exploration and has caused bizarre effects (including earthquakes). It is a frenzy in some blogs.

What about "homeopathy"? We had a couple of links about this recently, one defending it, one saying it was occult-like. Homeopathy, says Wikipedia, is  a form of alternative medicine in which "practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient." It is one of those perplexing cases like acupuncture. (A Vatican document once listed homeopathy as "New Age," while others have a long list of benefits and see nothing occult). We report. You discern.

Angels?

"I have always called my 'Angel Guardian,'" wrote  Sharon Wagner from Dubois, Indiana after recent angel stories.

"One morning about fifteen years ago, I was at home as we had a Down Syndrome daughter born to us, and I could not work as she had some special needs. It was around 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning, and I was sitting at our kitchen table. I was thinking at that time about Padre Pio and how he could summon his guardian angel to do things for him. I thought to myself, 'I am going to test my Angel Guardian!' So right then I told my Angel Guardian to go to my husband Howard (who was at work) and tell him I love him – and don’t just tell him but make him feel my love. As usually happens, I went about my business and forgot about my prayer request. But that evening, at the supper table, my husband said to  me, 'You won’t believe what happened today. I was working and a song came on the radio in the plant and guess what song it was? The Power of Love!'  (This song, by Celine Dion, was 'our' song when we dated.) Then he proceeded to say, 'It brought back all those feelings of love we had when we first met!' It stopped me in my tracks, as when he said 'feelings' I remembered my request of my Angel Guardian. I asked Howard what time that happened, and he said, “Around 10:30 or  11 this morning.' How Good is the Good God!"

Good always. Good indeed.